62 A Relation of the Chap. XII. 



CHAP. XII. 



Of the PrejTent, which the Grand Seignor fends, every Year, 



to SMecha. 



The Principal Heads. 



The third part of the Revenue of Egypt , ho"fr employ' d. 7he great 

 Wealth of the Sheck o/Mecha. Ceremonies obferVd at Maho- 

 met's Tomb. The CaraVan of Cairo. The Trefent fentfrom 

 Mecha to the Great Mogul. The Opinion of the Mahumetans, 

 concerning Mecha and Medina. 



T 



fubjeft. 



Hat I make here a particular Chapter of the Prefent, which the Grand 

 Seignor fends every Year to Mecha, is occafion'd by this third part of the 

 Revenue of Egypt, which is peculiarly defign'd for it ■-, and upon this 

 Confideration withall, That 1 have fmgular Remarks to make upon that 



Tb tb'ib Three Millions of Ln/err, of Twelve, of annual Revenue, which the Kingdom of 



tftbt l Revtnue EgyP* P a Y es tne Grand Seignor, are partly expended in the Rich Carpet, and the Sump- 

 pj "Egypt, bow tuous Tent, which he fends to the Sheck^ every year, in honour to Mahomet's Tomb. 

 mflo/d. Another part goes to the payment of thofe who ferve in the Mofqueys h As for in- 



ftance, the Im*n.r, who are their Priefts , the Cbeucbs, who are their Preachers - , the 

 Mmzimiy who, by their noife on the Towers of the Mofqueys, call the people to their 

 Devotions s and the Kaijms otMecba and Medina, who look to, and keep clean the 

 Mofqueys, and light the Lamps. We muft alib put into the Account of thefe Three 

 Millions, the Suftenance of all the Pilgrims for the fpace of Seventeen dayes, the Grand 

 Seignor fending, for that end, a furricient Summe to the Slxck? This Sbeck^y who is, 

 as 'twere, the Supream Perfon upon the fcore of the Law, and the High Prieft of all 

 the Mabumetans, what Country and Sect foever they be of, makes the poor ignorant 

 people believe, that there come every year to Mecba, Seventy thoufand Pilgrims, Men 

 and Women } and if that number were not compleat, the Angels would come in hu- 

 mane forms, to make it up. 



thtgriatmtltb This P rmce > whom we call the Sbec\\, for whom all the Mabumetans have a great 

 of the Sheck Veneration, is very Rich, and very powerful, and that may be eafily conjedtur'd, by 

 *f Mecha. the Prefents, which he receives every year from the Grand Seignor, and the other Ma- 

 htmetan Princes. Thefe Prefents arc all his own, to be diipos'd of as he pleafes, at 

 the end of the Year, when new ones are fent to him. He makes his advantage alib 

 of all the Prefents that are made by the Pilgrims, and of the Summes of Mony, which 

 thofe very Princes fend him, to be diftributed in Alms, which he alio diipofes of as 

 he pleafes •, and all thefe Prefents put together, make him fuch a Revenue as is hardly 

 imaginable. For Mabumetifme fpreads very much into Europe, Afta, and Africa, and 

 that much more then is commonly believ'd, as I (hall more diltindtly make it appear, 

 at the end of my Relation, in a particular Chapter, which I defign for the handling 

 of that matter. 



emmnies o'o- From feveral Parts of the World, there come Caravans to Mecba, and when the 



firv'd at Ma- Devotion is to begin, the High Prieft, ailifted by all the people belonging to the Law, 



hornet's Tomb* fpends night and day, in faying of Prayers, and performing the neceffary Ceremonies. 



On the Seventh day, all the Pilgrims are arfembled together before the Sheets Tent, 



who 



